Port of Tauranga CEO to retire next year
Port of Tauranga’s chief executive Mark Cairns has given notice that he will retire in June 2021 after more than 15 years at the helm of New Zealand’s largest and most efficient port.
“Port of Tauranga is in excellent shape. I’m incredibly proud of our people and the positive outcomes we have achieved for our customers and our community,” he says. Port of Tauranga’s board of directors has a succession plan in place and Leonard Sampson has been named as CEO designate.
Sampson was appointed Port of Tauranga’s COO in September 2019, after six years as the port’s commercial manager. Prior to joining Port of Tauranga, he held senior roles at Kiwi Rail, Carter Holt Harvey and Mainfreight. Cairns will retire from Port of Tauranga at the end of the 2021 financial year and intends to pursue a career in governance. (mw)